Dispensing assembly



Jan. 27,` 1959l l A, B, CAMPBELL 2,870,944

DIsPENsING ASSEMBLY Filed April 9, 195e United tate 2,870,944 nrsrnnsmo .assisi/mtv lbert B.. Campbell, Bensenville, Ill., assignor to Campn This invention relates to a dispensing assembly and the combination of said assembly-and fluid feed means.

My invention `is directed to a dispensing assembly capable of dispensing uniform and controlled quantities of a iiuid comprising: fluid control chamber means capable of displaceable movement; said chamber means having a discharge opening: with a valve seat;`said chamber .means having a plunger opening in spaced relationlship to said discharge opening; said chamber having fluid inlet means which may be operatively connected to fluid feed means; a plunger rod slideably positioned in the plunger opening intermediate end portions of said plunger means thus permitting a portion of said plunger rod to extend internally in as well as externally beyond the confines of said chamber means; valve means secured to said` plunger means, said valve means beingcapable of cooperating with the valve seat to close the discharge opening; reciprocating means operatively associated with said tuid control chamber capable of edecting displaceable movement of` said chamber; means operatively associated with said plunger rod serving to urge said valve means towards said discharge opening valve seat; stop means operatively associated `with said plunger rod to restrict displaceable movement of said plungerrod, `said reciprocating means displacing the chamber for a predetermined distance in one direction with the plunger rod being simultaneously displaced in the same direction with the valve means closing the discharge opening and said stop means, then-stopping `further displacement of `the plunger rod while the reciprocating means further displaces the champ ber in the same direction for a predetermined distance thereby opening the discharge opening, and then said reciprocating means displacing the chamber for a predetermined distance in the opposite direction with the discharge opening open and the plunger rod stationary until the valve seat and valve means come in` contact `andclose the discharge opening, said urging means maintaining the valve closed, and continuing displacement of the chamber with simultaneous displacement of the plunger rod for a predetermined distance with the discharge opening so closed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure lis an elevational View of the tem and dispensing assembly; and

Figure 2 is anelevational sectional view of the dispensing assembly. The interrupted lines represent the upper portion of a container.`

i `In the particular fiuid supply system shown in Figure l, the pump pumps fluid from a storage tank through inlet 11 to gravity feed tank 13 through the hose 12 and serves to maintain the desired amount of fluid 15 in the feed tank.

Pivoting arm 16 is pivoted on the tank i3 at pivot point 17 and has a oat 19 at one end and a mercury switch 18 at the other end.` When the liquid level in tank 13 drops below a predetermined level, the iioat will move in a generally downward direction, which in turn, will cause the mercury i9 in the Scaled glass bulb 2d to close the circuit liuid supply' systhrough the discharge opening 32.

HCC

`between exposed wires 21 and 22. Once the circuit is Regulating valve 14 may be used to regulate the flow of iiuid from the tank 13 to the dispensing assembly 30.

Figure 2 shows `the component parts of the dispensing assembly 30.

The nozzle 31 is threadably secured to fluid holding chamber 34 which is closed by closure member 36. The nozzle is considered a part of the chamber. The bracket 40 is secured to the closure member by means of a collarV member 38 which threadably engages the closure member. The hexagonally shaped lianges 33, 37 and 39 serve as nuts and readily permit elements of the assembly to be irmly secured to each other and disassembled. The bracket 40 is secured by screws 42 and 43 to actuating means 41 which, in turn, may be vertically displacedl reciprocatively by means of a pneumatically activated motor or the like.

Fluid inlet 35 in the fluid chamber is adapted to receive fluid from the tank 13 through the hose 23; fluid which enters the connes of the fluid control chamber may be discharged from the chamber at a predetermined time The plunger rod 44 is slidably `positioned in sealed plunger opening 45 in closure member `36 intermediate its ends. The plunger opening has two circular slots that contain Neoprene O-rings46 and 47 which serve to seal the plunger opening. Valve means 58 is Secured at the end of the plunger and cooperates with a valve seat in the discharge opening 32. p

. The nut 48 is secured to the plunger by means of set screw 49 and serves to support the` resilient spring 50. The spring abuts the washer 51 and is retained between the nut 48 and the stationary bracket 52. Washer 53 is positioned on the upper surface of the bracket. The adjusting hexagonal nut 54 is threadably secured to the plunger and is held in place by meansof lock nut 55. Displaceable or reciprocating movement ot the bracket itl will cause displacement `of the lluid control chamber. The plunger may be adjusted so that its displaceable movement is restricted, thus permitting part of the upward and downward displaceable movement of said chamber to be for a predetermined distance selectively independent of sliding displaceable movement of the plunger; this permits the fluid .control chamber to move in spaced relationship away from as well as towards the valve means 58. p l

`During a portion of: the downward displaceable move- 55 ment of the uid control chamber, the discharge. opening will move away from the plunger and valve means 58; whereas, during the upward displaceable movement of the tluid control chamber, the valveseat of the discharge opening will contact valve means 58, and the valve means 58 and valve seat in the discharge opening will concurrently move in closed relationship to each other during `a portion of the simultaneous upward displaceable` movement of the fluid control chamber and plunger rod.

Once the discharge opening is closed, the plunger rod and liuid control chamber will concurrently move during the remaining portion of the upstroke, during which time the spring 50 is compressed between the nut 48 and stationary washer' 51. The point of the upstroke at which the discharge opening 32 will be closed may be regulated by selectively `varying the position of the nut 48 astanti When the assembly is initially displaced in a downward direction, the plunger rod and fluid control chamber will be concurrently displaced and the discharge opening will remain closed. However, at some point of the downstroke, movement of the plunger rod will be restricted by the adjusting nut 54; stationary washer 53 on bracket 52 serves to stop vfurther movement of nut 54. After the plunger rod ceases to be displaced, the lluid control chamber will continue its downward movement away from valve means 58, and the discharge opening will be open until sometime after the fluid control chamber starts its upward displaceable movement. The tension exerted by the resilient spring and the location of adjusting nut 542 will determine the point at which the discharge opening will be unsealed. p

The time interval during which the discharge opening is opened and closed determines the quantity of luid that will 'be permitted tobe discharged into the container 60.

Although the foregoing described dispensing assembly may be used in dispensing many liquids, it is particularly well suited for illing aerosol-type containers with accurate predetermined quantities of a soap solution or emullsion without inducing excessive foaming. For example,

the gravity feed tank 13 may be kept at a constant level and is capable of supplying its contents, free of pulsation, at a constant pressure without inducing excessive foaming. It is desirable to discharge the soap solution or emulsion from the nozzle at ,the bottom ot the container so as to permit the displacement of the maximum amount of air from the container.

When soap solutions or emulsions are employed in the iluid supply system and dispensing assembly, it is desirable to use plastic hoses and No. 316 Stainless steel or Monel metal.

The foregoing detailed description has ybeen given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A dispensing assembly comprising: a fluid holding chamber wholly capable of displaceable movement, said chamber having a iluid inlet opening, a discharge opening and a plunger rod opening in spaced relationship to the discharge opening, the discharge opening having a valve seat, a plunger rod slidably positioned in the plunger opening intermediate end portions of Said plunger rod so that part of the plunger rod extends internally in, as well as externally beyond, the chamber, the plunger rod having a valve means positioned thereon and shaped to cooperate with the valve seat to close the discharge opening, reciprocating means operatively connected to the chamber, urging means associated with the plunger rod to urge the valve means against the valve seat and tixed stop means operatively associated with said external part of the plunger rod to restrict displaceable movement of the rod, said reciprocating means displacing the chamber for a predetermined -distance in one direction with the plunger rod being simultaneously displaced in the same direction with the urging means urging the valve means in closing engagement with the discharge opening and said stop means then stopping further displacement of the plunger rod while the reciprocating means further displaces the chamber in the same direction for a predetermined distance thereby opening the discharge opening, and 4then said reciprocating Imeans displacing the chamber for a predetermined distance in the opposite direction with the discharge opening open and the plunger rod stationary until the valve seat and valve means come in contact and close the discharge opening, said urging means maintaining the valve closed, and continuing displacement of the chamber with simultaneous displacement of the plunger rod for a predetermined distance with the discharge opening so closed.

2. A dispenser comprising: a uid holding chamber, said chamber having a uid inlet opening, a discharge opening, and a plunger rod opening in spaced relationship to the discharge opening, a plunger rod slidably positioned in the plunger rod opening with the top part of the rod extending out of the uid holding chamber, the discharge opening having a valve seat and the plunger rod having a valve means positioned in cooperating relationship with the valve seat to thereby close the discharge opening, a stationary bracket in which the top part of the plunger rod is slidably positioned, stop means on the rod which meets the bracket and stops movement of the rod, resilient urging means communicating with the bracket and urging the plunger rod out from the bracket to press the valve means into contact with the valve seat, and reciprocating means displacing the chamber for a predetermined distance in one direction with the plunger rod being simultaneously displaced in the same direction with the urging means pressing the valve means into the valve seat thereby closing the discharge opening and said stop means hitting the bracket thus stopping further displacement of the plunger rod and restraining the urging means while the reciprocating means further displaces the chamber in the same direction for a predetermined distance thereby opening the discharge opening, and

then said reciprocating means displacing the chamber for a predetermined distance in the opposite direction with the discharge opening open and the plunger rod stationary until the valve seat and valve means come in contact and are urged to close the discharge opening by the resilient urging means and continuing the displacement of the chamber in the said opposite direction with simultaneous displacement of the plunger rod for a predetermined distance with the discharge opening so closed.

3. A dispenser comprising: a iluid holding chamber, said chamber having a fluid inlet opening, a discharge u opening, and a plunger rod opening in spaced relationship to the discharge orifice, a plunger rod slidably positioned in the plunger rod opening and extending outof the iluid holding chamber, the discharge opening having a valve seat and the plunger rod having a valve means positionedl in cooperating relationship with the valve seat to thereby close the discharge opening, means urging the valve seat and valve means in closing contact, means for moving the chamber and rod simultaneously with the discharge opening so closed, and stationary stop means which ends such simultaneous movement of the plunger rod and the iluid holding chamber and restrains the urging means thereby creating independent movement of the chamber and plunger rod relative to each other so that the valve means is displaced from the valve seat and the discharge opening is opened,

References Cited in the le of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,482,593 Palmer Sept. V20, 1949 2,650,013 Nilsson Aug. 25 1953 2,707,589 Bingham Apr. 19, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,870,944 January 2'?, 1959 Albert B. Campbell It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the' above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 55, for "such simultaneous" read m1 said simultaneous uw; line 66, list of references' cited, under the heading, "UNITED STATES PATENTS", for the patent number "2,707,589" read w 2,7()@589 Signed and sealed this 25th day of August 1959A (SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. VAXLLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

